Pupil, 14, ‘brought gun to school’

Cape Times / 7 February 2013, 09:23am

Michelle Jones

PISTOL IN BAG: Pupils at the Oaklands High School make their way home, walking past the spot where two pupils were allegedly shot by a fellow pupil in a taxi on Tuesday. The pupil is to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates Court tomorrow on two charges of attempted murder. Photo: Jonathan Jones

Michelle Jones

and Jason Felix

A 14-year-old pupil, who later in the day allegedly shot two classmates, brought the pistol to school and had it with him throughout the day, it has emerged.

He is expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court tomorrow on two charges of attempted murder.

On Tuesday the Grade 8 Oaklands High pupil allegedly shot and wounded two classmates while in a taxi outside the Lansdowne school grounds at about 3pm.

A Grade 8 pupil was wounded in the hand and leg, and a Grade 10 pupil in the leg.

Pupils said they had seen the 14-year-old play with the gun during break time.

Both the pupils who were shot in the taxi live in Hanover Park.

A Grade 11 pupil, who did not want to be named, said:

“He (the suspect) brought the gun to school and had it in his bag during class time. At first break he and some of his friends were playing with it. I saw him in the taxi playing with the gun after school.”

A taxi driver told the Cape Times how he and a friend had calmed the 14-year-old after the shooting and taken him to the principal’s office.

The driver said his taxi was parked next to the vehicle in which the pupils were shot.

He said one of the victims had climbed out of the taxi and “just stood there” before being helped by pupils and teachers.

The driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he and his friend chased after the alleged shooter, who had run toward Chichester Road.

“We stopped him close to Rosmead Avenue.

“He placed the gun inside his bag and wanted to run off, but we stopped him.

“We told him that we would not take him to police to calm him down. He said he wanted to go home and we agreed.”

The pupil had got into the taxi and the driver had then taken him to the principal’s office where he was kept until the police came.

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said: “A report has indicated that the child did bring the weapon into the school.” Casey said that principal Reza Patel had not known that the pupil had brought the gun to school.

“The school principal was not aware that the pupil had a gun in his possession. Should he have known he would have taken the necessary steps to remove it.”

The school had been issued with a metal detector by Safe Schools, but this was used on a random basis.

Groote Schuur Hospital spokesman Alaric Jacobs said the Grade 8 pupil had been discharged after receiving treatment on Tuesday afternoon.

The Grade 10 pupil had undergone surgery yesterday and was in a stable condition.